WYATT EARP, AN UNDER RATED WESTERN MOVIE-- CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL

This movie starring Kevin Costner, Dennis Qauid and Gene Hackman is one underrated Western movie with  kick ass dialogues.

It is a very intense, interesting character study of a famous lawman Wyatt Earp.

It is common now for modern Hollywood characters to ask the other guy “ Who the fuck do you think you are, Wyatt Earp?”  

As you can see the cast is terrific, with abundant  romance and action. The melody of the background score grows on you after several viewings.

“ There aint no humor in here: this is a serious story!” , so will shout movie critics —but people who can read between the lines know the humor inherent woven in it.

Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp ( 1848 – 1929) in real life was an American gambler, investor, and Marshall who served in several old West town.  He was also at different times a miner, farmer, bouncer, bar keeper and boxing referee. However, he was never a cowboy.  He is most well known for his part in the  Gunfight at OK Corral.

This  gunfight would define the rest of his life. Earp's modern-day reputation is that of “ The toughest and deadliest gunman of the old West"

The movie starts with young Wyatt preparing to run away from home and join the Union army like his brothers Virgil and James.  His father Gene Hackman in a cameo role,  stops him.  While Wyatt wants the same adventure he feels his brothers are experiencing,  his father knows the horrors and truth about war . Later, James and Virgil return home both exhausted and beat up from serving in the army. Their father has put on his traveling shoes and announces that the family will be moving West where opportunity knocks. Wyatt finally ends up as a lawman and along with his brothers, clean up  Dodge City.

Kicked out for being too tough Wyatt travels to Fort Griffin, Texas, where he meets and befriends Doc Holliday (Dennis Quaid), a former dentist, frequent gambler, occasional outlaw, and suffering from severe tuberculosis. Two demanding women also enter widower Wyatt's life,  the prostitute Mattie (Mare Winningham) and stage performer Josie (Joanna Going) from San Fransico.

Another stint in Dodge City follows before the Earps relocate to Tombstone, Arizona.  Wyatt and his brothers Virgil and Morgan manage to antagonize the local cattle rustlers known as The Cowboys, including members of the Clanton, Claiborne, and McLaury clans.

The escalating tension climaxes with the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, in which the Earp brothers helped by Holliday kill them three Cowboys. The Earps are subsequently targeted with retribution attacks, with Morgan killed and Virgil maimed. Wyatt sets off to kill all remaining Cowboys, before continuing his life out west in the company of Josie.

Some kick-ass dialogues:-- ( with the Yank drawl )

Stop talking and start shooting.

You've raised your hand to me for the last time!

Put that gun down, Kate. I don't want you shooting me by mistake.

Everyone who knows me hates me.

Every morning I wake up surprised. Surprised I have to spend another day in this piss hole world.

All of you can kiss my rebel dick.

I know sometimes it isn't easy being my friend...

I've had enough of being famous. I'm gonna settle down. Start some kind of business where nobody wants to shoot me anymore.

Good, Mattie. That way we'll know where to find it when we're finished.

Wives come and go, that's the plain truth of it. They run off. They die.

Children aren't a part of the bargain, Mattie. They never were.

The next man that speaks out will be fined $25 contempt of court. Your Honor, $25 wouldn't pay for half the contempt I got for this court. Bailiff, collect $50 from Curly Bill Brocius.

We've been all over hell looking for those two.  Maybe you weren't looking hard enough, Johnny.

But with a little cooperation, a little live and let live... everyone can make out.

I'm sick of hearing your lies!  Go back to your friends. Tell them if they wanna fight with the Earps... they know where to find us!

Evening, miss. - Good evening. Are you taking a walk? I am. Is that a problem? Could be in this town. I've been in worse places than this.

You had your last chance and you let it go. There ain't gonna be no more talking. I've seen your kind my whole life.

.
Your day's coming.  Get ready. Why not make it today?

You can spend the rest of your time waiting to see me.

I understand most of your enemies got it in the back.

Gentlemen, this game is losing its allure. I'm out.

I'm not in the mood for talking. - You know how it is with me. You don't have to do much talking when I'm around.

After tomorrow, this town's gonna smell a whole lot better.

Those Earps and their skinny diseased friend... are gonna find out what a real fight is all about.

If you're gonna talk like that, you'd best take it somewheres else.

Shut up! I'm tired of hearing your noise.

I ain't gonna fight you tonight. But your fight's coming soon enough.

Come away with me now. We'll leave the trouble behind and go.

You sons of bitches have been looking for a fight. Now you can have it.

lf somebody voted you king of this family, l didn't hear about it.

You dragged us all down here with a lot of talk about owning businesses...
and getting rich. Now here you are a year later...

l'm sorry if l hurt you today. That was not my intention.

There ain't an honest cowboy who can get a fair shake in this town.

 

Go back to your friends. Tell them if they wanna fight with the Earps... they know where to find us!

He'd lick himself all over if he could, he's so whipped up.

l believe you're trying to seduce me. What makes you different from all the men who've tried what you're trying?

You had your last chance and you let it go. There ain't gonna be no more talking.

You talk too much for a fighting man, lke. l've seen your kind my whole life.

There's never been but one way to deal with any of you.

l am getting sick to my stomach of all your empty yellow talk.

You can spend the rest of your time waiting to see me.

l understand most of your enemies got it in the back.

You don't have to do much talking when l'm around.

For some people, this world ain't ever gonna be right.

ls that supposed to let me off the hook? There is no hook, my friend. There's only what we do.

lf you're gonna talk like that, you'd best take it somewheres else.

Shut up! l'm tired of hearing your noise.

My mama always told me never put off till tomorrow people you can kill today.

He ain't armed and he's drunk! -There ain't no law against killing drunks.

l don't have time for this today.

lke's been up all night drinking, trying to screw up the courage to kill us.

You sons of bitches have been looking for a fight. Now you can have it.

Look who don't know if he's coming or going.

You're just in time to watch me whip Bob's ass...

How come Morgan's the only Earp who's completely full of shit? The whole family wants to know the answer to that one.

Johnny, you're not careful, you'll see me once too often.

What are we gonna do with all our money? We'll buy you a new suit. You could use one.

"Nothing counts more than blood... the rest are just strangers," spake Wyatt's father Nicholas (Gene Hackman ) at the beginning of the film.

The brothers now will live by that code laid down by the patriarch. This is the most important line perhaps in the movie, with the exception of Wyatt's own at the end "Some say it didn't happen that way," commenting upon a flashback recounting his brand of law and justice in the wild cattle town of Dodge City.

The film has a outstanding musical score, amazing cinematography, and good acting by the supporting characters. It draws the viewer in, so much so that you do not feel you are watching a film, but are experiencing a moment in history.  The director keep it low key, allowing the viewer to be drawn into the story, rather than simply showing it to us.

Dennis Quaid lost 35 pounds of his weight only to accurately portray the tuberculosis affected and alcoholic gun-notorious Doc Holliday.

"Wyat Earp" 1994- is under rated as it is 3 hours and 15 minutes long, and was released withing 6 months after  the classic "Tombstone," which told the same story.  And the movie audiences could NOT get the drift of the smart ass dialogues.

CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL

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